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Adoption issues

Social workers, Cafcass, the judiciary and the judicial system must all be considered in detail by the Norgrove Review

November 1 2011, 12:01am, The Times

Sir, Rightly, David Cameron wishes to see an increase in the number of adoptions and, in particular, an increase in the number of adoptions of children under 18 months and preferably under one year (report, Oct 31). Last year there were only 60 such adoptions.

The immediate reaction is to blame social workers, but this is only partially so. The judiciary and the judicial system are also part of the problem. Lord Justice Ward, in giving judgment in a case on July 12, rightly held that the trial judge had erred in making final orders before the adoption assessment had taken place. This decision filled him with “some despondency” due to the inevitable additional delay in referral back to the trial judge.